The Present Application relates to a termination tool for optical fibers and, more specifically, a manually manipulatable tool for processing plastic optical fiber.
In recent years, plastic optical fiber (“POF”) has become more widely accepted for various applications. This is due to the relatively low overall system cost as compared to glass optical fiber and its ease of installation as compared to copper twisted pair transmission lines. In some applications, POF may be utilized without the need for polishing the ends thereof, but POF could be more widely adopted if the quality of the finishing of the ends is improved. Such non-polished applications are possible if the terminated end of the POF is sufficiently smooth and flat so that minimal signal loss occurs between mating connectors. In general, it is desirable to obtain an end surface which results in a loss of less than 1 dB.
Terminating POF has been further complicated by the need to perform such terminations in the field. In the past, tools have been provided for such field termination, but they have generally required either multiple tools or relatively expensive, complex tools or manual hand polishing with costly films. Such prior art tools typically apply an axial compressive or tensile force prior to such termination and thus must securely and precisely hold the POF in place. Accordingly, field termination of POF in the past has required a substantial number of tools. If any one of these tools is lost, such field termination is not possible. The relatively expensive and complex “all-in-one” hand tools of the prior art, while adequately performing the field termination function, are sufficiently complicated and expensive so as to discourage widespread deployment in the field.
In general, the complexity and cost of the termination has been proportional to the resultant quality of the termination. For example, in one study, POF cut with: 1) an edge cutter was found to have a loss of approximately 4.2 dB; 2) a pocket knife was found to have a loss of approximately 2.8 dB; 3) a POF razor blade cutter was found to have a loss of approximately 1.3 dB; 4) a tool and the end with a coarsely polished end was found to have a loss of approximately 0.6 dB; and 5) a tool and the end with a finely polished end was found to have a loss of approximately 0.4 dB.